Tag Archives: heavy duty

Pickuptrucks.com has once again held a competition pitting the Big 3 automakers against eachother in a test to see who comes out on top. This particular test, aptly named ‘Heavy Duty Hurt Locker’ had one-ton dual rear wheel pickups complete a 2,200 mile journey across 4 states through 2 of the most gruelling mountain climbs in North America. The trucks pulled gooseneck trailers weighing nearly 10 tons through the journey (meaning a commercial drivers license was required!) and were evaluated on their fuel economy, power, acceleration and braking. Trucks were also measured on closed courses, going full throttle with and without trailers, to measure their performance at 100% power capability.

The trucks all fared well and had their own pro’s and con’s in each test, but in the end the award was given to the GMC Sierra 3500, with the writers stating:

The GMC Sierra 3500 is our choice for the Best Overall Heavy-Duty Truck in the Hurt Locker test. Its performance continues to affirm what we’ve seen from previous 2011-12 GM HD pickups. Their chassis and on-road performance should be in the crosshairs of Ram and Ford.

The GMC Sierra led with best-in-class performance, with wins in almost every test we put the trucks through.

The Sierra was the most comfortable rig over our long days. It was also the quickest for the driver to get comfortable with the trailer and load.

Not only does the 2011 GMC Sierra HD pickup offer the most power in its class, and a Denali trim level, but you can count another win for The General over its heavy-duty pickup competition – best-in-class towing and payload figures. The new trucks will now be able to tow 21,700 lbs in fifth-wheel configuration and 17,000 lbs with a traditional ball hitch, as well as handle 6,635 lbs of payload. The new trucks best their closest competitor – the Ford F350 – by a whopping 1,000 lbs in conventional towing, and 100 lbs in fifth wheel configuration.

Based on these improved capacities, the Sierra HD becomes the most capable heavy duty pickup on the market. The trucks start production next week, and we expect to start seeing them on the lot sometime in late summer. Come on in and test them against the competition, we know you won’t be disappointed!